REVIEW: The Stables at Turtle Bay, O’ahu Hawai’i

Gratuitous Hawai’ian sunset picture

 We recently visited the Turtle Bay Resort in Hawai’i. I can’t be bothered to review the hotel, suffice to say you can stay on O’ahu for a lot cheaper and I have no doubt you’ll get better service and have to follow less restrictive rules! However, the North Shore is absolutely beautiful and a complete must visit. The absolute highlight of our North Shore experience was taking a trail ride through the stables at Turtle Bay.

Horse Bum

Nestled down by the beach, alongside Turtle Bay itself, where I saw my only Honu of the trip, are these delightful little stables, which have a really American, really homely feel. We took the 45 minute trail ride which is completely simple and relaxed – perfect for those who haven’t ridden before. You ride along the beach and then into a stunning patchwork of slightly more inland locations – through the sugar cane fields that were so pivotal in ‘Lost’, near the Banyan Tree from Pirates of the Caribbean, through woods and near rainforest feeling forest and back out through palms, ironwood trees and a whole host of other natural delights. It feels like the scenery is literally entirely different every 100 yards! You also ride by the bay where the second Hunger Games was filmed and the whole area is apparently where Jurassic Park was filmed. It is the location of Hollywood choice it seems.

Look at our massive heeeds!

The horses are kept in beautiful condition and are happy animals. We were warned about their snacking habit, wanting to stop and eat grass whenever they got the chance. The Boy’s actually decided to take a break and bite a chunk of bark off a tree! But who can blame them, they work hard and who doesn’t get peckish when they’re exercising! After every trail they are watered and fed, to cool them down as well as to make sure they are well hydrated and hunger-free.

Special thanks go to our guide, Vera. She was a true natural around the animals and was exceptionally knowledgeable about the local area, the flora and the fauna. She made our tour a real delight with her friendly manner and fascinating facts about the horses. It is always such a pleasure to meet someone with a real passion for their work and she was truly exceptional. Thank you Vera!